Tucson Unified School District is moving ahead with plans to consolidate six to 10 schools amid declining enrollment and falling birth rates, after its Governing Board narrowly approved a community engagement plan last week.

But some board members are still raising concerns about the transparency of the process and the makeup of the committee steering it.

The board voted 3-2 to approve a community engagement plan during its Aug. 25 meeting, which outlines the steps taken prior to and after the district's school reconfiguration decisions.

Bill De La Cruz, founder of De La Cruz Leadership Solutions, walked board members through the plan prior to the vote. He explained that a decline in enrollment in Arizona's traditional public schools, coupled with lower birth rates, factored into the district's decision to begin consolidating schools as part of its enrollment stabilization program.

Fertility rates dropped 13.1% in Arizona from 2013 to 2024, resulting in fewer school-age children overall. Alternative models of education, such as charter schools and private education, have also become increasingly popular in Arizona.

Data shows charter schools accounted for 23.7% of all public schools in Arizona in 2023. In 2024, Tucson alone had 12.2% of school-age children enrolled in private education, compared to 11% statewide.

The plan is intended to build shared community understanding and work collaboratively to chart a path forward for TUSD schools before any major reconfiguration decisions are made.

After that reconfiguration, the plan aims "to guide and support ... school communities through the transition phase, ensuring clear communication, robust staffing support, and tailored resources for every school."

TUSD's engagement plan was created by a special committee of 22 community members and stakeholders selected to assist and advise with the reconfiguration process.

Board member Jennifer Eckstrom raised concerns about the plan and the legitimacy of community representation on the reconfiguration committee.

"The members of that committee are not made up of our community. So, I don't know how we change that or if we add a parent and teacher committee," Eckstrom said. "I just feel like we're not getting a cross-section of people on this committee and to give their ideas and give their input and to learn what is actually going on in the district."

As the plan moves ahead, the district has scheduled three regional engagement meetings with members of the governing board in an attempt to connect with the communities within the district.

The board requested further clarification on what would be included in the meetings, with Eckstrom saying that after seeing posts circulate on social media, she was still unsure about the meetings' focus.

Board President Dr. Ravi Shah also shared concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the meetings.

"So say we're successful and able to get … 100-plus, hopefully more, people at these meetings. What is… the purpose of these meetings?" he asked. "Is it to put out a closure and consolidation plan and everyone and just be pissed off that my school is being closed or happy that my school isn't being closed? How do we … get beyond just the nihilism of this?"

Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo expanded on the meetings during a media briefing Thursday, saying they'll cover data and different scenarios for the consolidation process.

He said the district aims to target six to eight schools for closure, with the ultimate goal of attracting more parents to the district through its academics, facilities and after-school care programs.

Trujillo outlined the schedule for the meetings, which will happen Monday, Sept. 21 at the Sahuaro High library; Wednesday, Sept. 23 in Cholla High School's library and Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Catalina High School library.

De La Cruz said during Tuesday's goverrning board meeting the district will not be asking the community for recommendations about what schools to close.

"We're asking people to think about this from a district-wide perspective," he said. "That this isn't just impacting one part of the community. It's impacting the whole district, and so really taking people through a process of understanding what this is all about.

Nya Belcastro is a University of Arizona student and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at nya2005@arizona.edu.

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